May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the most wonderful news in the universe — that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and was raised from the dead three days later. Jesus was crucified and died to pay the penalty for our sins on Good Friday, almost 2,000 years ago. His body was placed in a tomb and a large stone was rolled to block the entrance to the tomb and soldiers guarded the tomb.

Three days later, on the day we celebrate as Easter Sunday, Christ rose from the dead! The soldiers shook for fear and ran,… Continue

Each week we are looking at one of 6 Keys to Christian Growth. The second key is being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God — here on earth, in an invisible form. How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit comes and lives in us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. We can then ask God to fill us and control us and empower us with His Holy Spirit each and every day.

What difference does this make? Without God in your life in t… Continue

How can I most effectively help others?

This is the final day in this series. If you have followed these studies to this point, you have begun to set in place a solid foundation for your life as a believer. My goal at the outset was to help you explore some basic truths and establish patterns of thinking about your spiritual life. It was to build momentum toward a future in which you are vitally related to Christ. I am deeply grateful if these goals have been met. In fact, little could give me… Continue

What do I do next?

The other day I was in a meeting with a woman, now in her eightieth year. She is one of the most godly, mature Christians I have ever known. Yet at one point she said wistfully, "I'm no where near where I want to be in my prayer life." This was not false humility. This was the heart-cry of one who has gone deeply enough with the Lord to know there is so much more.

Such a realization should not discourage us, but rather serve as a strong motivator to pursue spiritual growth w… Continue

Why is the cross Jesus endured so vital to me?

As we near the end of our studies, I want to encourage you to "live near the Cross." This means to live moment by moment in the reality of what Jesus provided for us through His sacrificial death.

When I first heard someone urging that I "live near the cross," it seemed strange. The Cross is where a terrible death took place. The Cross is where nearly everyone abandoned Jesus. Why would I want to live in such a place? The reason is that the Cross… Continue